


Happy Birthday Prince Robert

by bexcj



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, M/M, Princes & Princesses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-22
Updated: 2016-04-22
Packaged: 2018-06-03 18:35:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6621700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bexcj/pseuds/bexcj
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><b><a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/4958209/chapters/11385481">Royal Expectations Spin-off:</a></b> It's Ex-Prince Robert's birthday and Aaron has a few surprises up his sleeve.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happy Birthday Prince Robert

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Royal Expectations](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4958209) by [bexcj](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bexcj/pseuds/bexcj). 



> i know you all miss him and i miss him so i've brought him back for a little bit.
> 
> happy 30th birthday to my favourite man i love you so much. you'd be the best prince.

The famous phrase  _‘April Showers’_ lives up to expectations today _,_ andit’s only fitting for Robert to wake up to the sound of raindrops pattering on the windowsill of the cottage and a dull, grey light filling the bedroom. His senses switch on as he reaches consciousness and as they do, his nose twitches because he smells something strong, and it’s growing stronger every time he sniffs.

The door then creeps open slowly and Aaron tiptoes in, his face breaking out into a grin when he notices Robert is awake. There’s a tray in his hand, with a waffle on a plate and a small jug of syrup, accompanied by a mug of coffee. Robert smiles when he sees it, a familiar warmth running through his veins and into his stomach, which growls in hunger as the aroma of the breakfast becomes too much and he can’t just stare at it any longer.

Aaron places the tray on his lap and tilts the blond’s head up, attaching their lips in one soft kiss before pulling away and crawling onto his side of the bed to watch Robert dig in.

He cuts the corner of the waffle and pops it into his mouth, his eyelids fluttering closed so he can savour the sweet taste of the syrup. He lets out a soft moan as he chews, his head slowly turning to find the younger man staring at him with an expression equally as sweet as the waffle.

“You’d think there was an occasion, what with the breakfast in bed…” Robert trails off and pops another piece into his mouth, his eyes wandering as he waits patiently for Aaron to say it.

And he finally does. “Happy Birthday, Robert.”

Robert mock gasps. “Oh, is that today?”

His boyfriend rolls his eyes and leans forward to wrap one arm around Robert’s neck. “You’re an idiot. Come downstairs in a bit, yeah? Got some presents for you.”

“Aaron, you know I can afford whatever from the income I get from Diane. You don’t need to get me anything.”

Aaron removes his arm from the perfect fit against Rob’s neck and he heads for the door, pausing once he’s there so he can give his boyfriend a glare. “It’s the thought that counts, your highness. You’ll understand the sentiment one day.”

Robert lets out a small sigh as the door closes, placing his tray to one side in order to get himself up and dressed. He’s careful to take a long time getting ready, his heavy head preventing any excitement seeping through. Birthdays are still difficult like Christmases are. Slightly more bearable, but still hard. When he’s finally ready he heads downstairs and into the lounge, where he suddenly jumps back in a startle as a loud _“Surprise!”_ takes him aback.

A smile teases at the corners of his mouth when he calms and allows himself to scan the room. It’s only his family. Diane, Victoria, Adam, Andy, Katie and Aaron, but it’s been forever since he’s seen his brother and so he approaches him first. “Alright?”

“Happy thirtieth Rob. I forgive you for not coming to mine, by the way.” Andy says as he pats his brother on the back. Robert gives him a small, awkward smile in return. He didn’t attend Andy’s thirtieth birthday party four months earlier because he couldn’t face his father, not because he didn’t want to be there. But he did send a message on Facebook so Andy knew he was thinking of him.

He greets the rest of them and finally approaches Aaron, who’s holding a small present in his hands. Robert resists the urge to glare at him and takes the present instead, ripping off the paper to reveal the latest Star Wars film on DVD. He and Aaron had gone to the premiere of the film and Robert had fallen in love with the Franchise all over again whilst watching it, the whole time sensing that Aaron was looking at him enjoying himself instead of watching the big screen.

Robert beams at the gift and stares up at his boyfriend. “Thank you.” He mouths, leaning forward and pressing his lips to Aaron’s cheek. He lingers there for a few moments before pulling away and he can feel the brunet’s cheek grow hot beneath his lips in a blush.

“So Rob,” Vic starts. “What are the plans for today then?”

Robert blinks at her. He has no idea. “Uh…”

“We’re having a party.” Aaron cuts him off. Robert turns back to him then, his brows furrowing in confusion because this is the first he’s heard of any party. “You what?”

“Yeah, we’re having a party.” Aaron confirms to Vic, ignoring Rob’s question, and the blond goes to protest when he’s cut off for a second time, this time by Diane.

“It’s starting now too, so come on.” She says, pushing the handle and opening the front door, gesturing for everyone to leave. Robert shakes his head, growing frustrated from the confusion and lack of any insight as to what is happening. “Wait, why now? It’s the morning…and it’s been raining, are you sure we shouldn’t just stay in here?

Aaron grabs at his wrist and pulls him towards the door. “Just shut up and live a little, will you? It’s your birthday, you’re only thirty once, come on.”

“Don’t remind me.” Robert groans, eventually allowing his boyfriend to pull him outside into the damp air. They walk for a little while until they reach a widely paved side-street, and that’s when thousands of streamers fly into the air and hundreds of voices shout out towards him. _“Surprise!”_

Robert’s jaw drops open as he stares out at all of the people. His head shakes in total disbelief that everyone would come out here for him, yet here they are. They’re all looking straight at him and smiling, so it must be for him, mustn’t it?

“Happy Birthday.” Aaron says for the second time today, but Robert is too shocked to look in his direction or give any form of response. He’s lost for words, but his heart swells inside his chest. This is unbelievable.

“Who did this?” He finally manages to say, turning to his step-mother and partner. They look at each other for a second and then reply with, “Both of us.”

Robert huffs out a laugh, his head still shaking side to side in denial. “How?”

“It didn’t take much persuasion.” Aaron tells him, clasping his wrist and pulling them to one side in order to hear each other a little better over the noise of the huge crowd. “I know you’ve been pretending that the past year and a half hasn’t been difficult, giving all this up. But I know you struggle sometimes and you think that everything’s changed. It hasn’t really.”

He pulls his wrist from Aaron’s grip so they can entwine their fingers instead, and he nods for the younger man to carry on because he’s right. There are nights where Robert nearly regrets his decision to leave the throne because he’d worked his whole life up until this point to be the king. He doesn’t regret it though, because he’s head over heels for Aaron and he wouldn’t give that up for the world, but he does miss how things were sometimes. He misses his subjects the most out of anything which is why this gesture means so much.

Aaron continues. “I know your dad abandoned you but your people haven’t. They still see you as the prince that you were when they watched you grow up. They still see you as the rightful king of this country no matter what your dad says. They love you and so do I, and we wanna wish you a happy birthday today. Is that alright?”

The ex-Prince of England wipes a fallen tear from his cheek and nods before pulling his boyfriend into a long, tight embrace. Robert needed this, he needed this more than anything. For the first time in a year and a half, despite not having the title anymore, he feels like a royal again. He feels like a prince. Actually, he feels like a king.


End file.
